After the Monaco Grand Prix, Isack Hadjar lost his first Red Bull podium finish due to a successful protest by Alpine. Pierre Gasly’s two five-second penalties were overturned by the stewards for exceeding the pit lane speed limit, resulting in Gasly reclaiming third place and Hadjar dropping to fourth.
Gasly, along with other drivers, was penalized during the race for speeding in the pit lane. Despite Gasly’s claim that he had activated his speed limiter on time, he was disappointed to lose his podium opportunity.
Alpine quickly filed a Right of Review with the FIA after the race, leading to a hearing in Barcelona. New evidence was presented, including inaccuracies in the timing loops used to measure car speeds by Formula One Management, leading to the overestimation of Gasly’s speed and that of other drivers.
As the sole team to request a review, Gasly’s penalties were the only ones to be overturned. Following a second part of the hearing, it was confirmed that Gasly’s third-place finish was reinstated, as announced by Alpine.
In response, Alpine expressed gratitude for the decision and the transparency of the process, focusing on the upcoming Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix.
The stewards explained their decision to rescind Gasly’s penalties, stating that there was no evidence of him exceeding the pit lane speed limit.
Despite the timing system error affecting other drivers, Gasly was the only one to have his penalties rescinded. Other penalties remained in place as served penalties cannot be appealed, and no other team pursued a review.
The stewards acknowledged the impact on other drivers’ race strategies due to penalties and clarified the limitations on revisiting served penalties.
Gasly’s situation highlighted the importance of fairness in racing decisions and the adherence to regulations.
